36 Weeks, 5 Days- Pictures and Dr Appt

Filed Under Belly Pictures, Pregnancy, Symptoms | 5 Comments

My belly, taken a few days ago by Jonathon.

Wow… I feel really round…

So today we had our “36 Week” appointment, although I am technically almost 37 weeks now, which my doctor considers full term. Nothing but good news today. First I did the routine pee-in-a-cup and blood pressure stuff. My blood pressure was 130/76 which is a little higher than normal for me, but I was pretty nervous today between the upcoming internal exam and also having a different doctor. He measured my uterus, which always means nothing to me, and checked the baby’s heartbeat which he said was just fine.

He also showed me where Bailey’s body parts are this time. He said she hasn’t “fully dropped” or whatever but that she’s on her way, and definitely head down. Her spine is on my left side and the pokey things over to my right are her feet. Her butt is the big hard thing above my belly button, which I kind of guessed. He said she will probably stay head down now but that the side she’s facing could definitely change.

Sidenote: Why am I saying “he?” My regular doctor is out of the office this week (I’m not really sure why because I think she’s in town, but both Dr. K and the other female doctor in the practice are gone for something right now. So I had to see the male Dr. K instead, who was a little older and a little quirky but very nice.

Anyway, the exciting news is that I am already dilated 2 cm and 65% effaced. Please don’t ask me what that means for sure, because I know it has something to do with thinning of the cervix, but if it’s already open a little bit I’m not sure how it can still be thinning. Anyway, it was good news. Jonathon also asked if my mucus plug had come out yet. For some reason he has been pretty interested in this. I guess he’s just a boy and he likes gross body stuff. The doctor said he didn’t really believe in a “plug” but more like it could come out a little at a time, but that if I had one to begin with it was definitely gone now.

In the doctor’s exact words, “Will you deliver this weekend? I doubt it, but I wouldn’t fall off my stool if it happened. Will you ever see your due date pregnant? No.” He said that his best “guess” would be maybe next week or even more likely the week after. Which means at 37 or 38 weeks, and I would be very, very happy.

I have been feeling okay for the most part. Just some cramping that feels like my period is going to start, but apparently that’s my cervix doing what it’s supposed to do, so I really can’t complain too much. Sometimes when I walk it feels like Bailey’s head is banging against my bladder or my pelvic bones or something. Last night I had the joy of waking up about every 30-40 minutes. I guess I’m getting ready to be up all the time with a newborn

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